Contributors

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Hey Pals! I am still completely diggin' on Dean's 1966 al b um, "Relaxin". I simply HAD to stick with it for today's Serenade! After readin' our most gracious host's blog bout' that great great Dino-flick..."Who Was That Lady?"...I knew that THIS tune was my Dino-callin'!

What a tune it is to pallies! Haven't really listened to it since the "Forever Cool" cd came out a few years back. Man o man...how could I have forgotten this cool cool gem of a song?!

I guess when there are so so many unbelievably great Dino-jams out there...this type thin' may happen! So so glad I stumbled cross' "Relaxin"! Hey...that's nuff' outta me...let's enjoy the Dino flowin' through the air!

Lyrics to Who Was That Lady :

Who was that lady
That fabulous lady
That lady I saw you with last night

Tell me, was she an angel
If she was an angel
She sure kept her wings out of sight

Pardon my asking but was she thrilling
And was she willing to kiss the evening away
Say who was that lady
I knew such a lady
And foolishly let her out of my life
So if she's the one
Please spare me the pun
I'd sure miss the fun in that was no lady
That was my wife

Who was that lady
I knew such a lady
And foolishly let her out of my life
So if she's the one
Please spare me the pun
I'd sure miss the fun in that old crawler
No joke is duller
Than that was no lady
That was my wife

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Hey pallies, likes dudes, likes this is so so totally totally rad. Likes true Dino-holics likes youse and me can't likes ever get's 'nough Dino-details, and likes if you clicks on the tag of this Dino-report you'll winde up at our Dino's page at "The Numbers" and will likes be treated to great Dino-details 'bout Box Office Tallies for nine-count 'em-nine of our Dino's big screen efforts.

Actually the post includes eleven films, but one of 'em ain't our Dino's (Deadly Renovations) and one of 'em (Come Blow Your Horn) our great man has only a wee cameo. But you will learn cool Dino-numbers for a variety of our Dino's flicks...from "Airport" to the two "Cannonball Runs"; to two Helmer capers, "The Silencers" and "The Wrecking Crew"; to three westerns, "The Sons Of Katie Elder," "Bandolero!," and "Rio Bravo," to "What A Way To Go."

Likes sorry that I couldn't post the actual charts here, but likes I ain't that proficient on the 'puter. Anywho enjoys learnin' more and more great facts 'bout our most beloved Dino! Thanks to the pallies at "The Numbers" for sharin' these Dino-historical facts with their readership. Dino-ever, DMP

Hey pallies, likes today we gets to likes put the accent on our most beloved Dino's most beloved boypallie Dino Jr. Likes it is always so so cool to know that not only is our Dino never ever to be forgotten, but also that his prodigy, 'specially his name sake is continuin' to be remembered and honored as well.

Today ilovedinomartin takes you to the very very evocative blog, "Boomer Beefcake and Bonding" where blogger Jeffery P. Dennis has created photo/prose essay on our great man's great son. Dennis shares thoughts on Dino Jr. that likes I have never ever heard before, and thus this is a rather provocative post to say the least.
Willa be very intrigued to hear all youse pallies responses to Jeffery's focus.

To read this Dino-material in it's original format, just clicks on the tag of this here Dino-report. Keeps lovin' our most beloved Dino! Dino-awed, DMP

Dean Paul Martin

The Desi in the 1960s boy band Dino, Desi, and Billy was Desi Arnaz Jr., of course, and the Dino was Dean Paul Martin (left), the 13-year old son of famous crooner Dean Martin. Dino was very rich, very famous, and very talented, but not very focused.

After his group disbanded, Dino played professional tennis and semi-pro football; he got his pilot's license; he studied medicine and joined the National Guard. He started calling himself Dean Paul instead of Dino. He changed into a blond. He developed a spectacular physique.

And he acted, of course. Not a lot -- he was too busy. 7 movies, mostly in roles as playboys or a woman's illcit lover; some guest spots on tv shows (including his Dad's Dean Martin Comedy Hour), and some "as himself" appearances on talk shows and game shows.

Dean was married to women twice, briefly, but rumor has it that he enjoyed the company of men and women both. He appeared in a 1979 issue of After Dark, the interview-and-revealing photo magazine aimed primarily at an audience of gay men.

Dean's least heterosexist role was in Misfits of Science (1985-88), part of the mid-1980s fad for science fiction comedies (others included Automan, Max Headroom, and The Greatest American Hero). He played Dr. Billy Hayes, a young scientist who travels around in an ice cream truck with a group of mutants with weird powers. 15 episodes appeared during the 1985-85 season, and another in 1988. A lot of homoerotic buddy-bonding (notice the number of people who can't keep their hands to themselves in this photo), and not a lot of heterosexual machinations.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Hey pallies, likes gotta 'fess up that today's Dino-gram is so low in actual Dino-devotion that likes I almost passed it by, but it is such a cool photo essay from that so underrated Dino-flick, "Who Was That Lady?," that likes I simply had to share it with all youse Dino-philes. From the blog pad, "Bella Boho - Stylish Living," where Interior Stylist Miss Tamara Conrad, hangs her hat comes "classic movie interiors: "who was that lady?"

Obviously Miss Conrad is a style maven of interior design, and as you read below, she just happened on to a viewin' of "Who Was That Lady?" on the Antenna T.V. channel and she was totally totally smitten by the "amazing set design that just made me absolutely giddy!"

Likes when I view any Dino-flick, I'm only, always, and ever smitten by spendin' time with our Dino, this chick makes a great point 'bout the absolutely stunnin' set of this swingin' comedy. Next times I view "Who Was That Lady?" likes I am goin' have to spend some time explorin' the Dino-surroundin's.

ilovedinomartin sez our thanks to Miss Tamara Conrad for this most intriguin' photo essay includin' some great shots of our great man. To view this in it's original format, as usual, simply clicks on the tag of this Dino-missive. Keeps lovin' our most beloved Dino o'pallies of mine. Dino-only, DMP

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

classic movie interiors: "who was that lady?"

While stretching this morning, I was treated to an amazing set design that just made me absolutely giddy! Thanks to the awesome oldy but goody Antenna T.V. channel, where I get my nightly Hitchcock fix, I found the apt. home of my dreams!

The 1960's film, "Who Was That Lady" with Dean Martin, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, James Whitmore and many, many more. The set designer was James Crowe, and I think him to be brilliant!

Tony and Janet live in a one bedroom apt.; the living area is on one level, the kitchen on another and the bedroom is a loft! They have a huge wall of bookshelves, with a library ladder to boot. Lots of art for a super parlour wall. The decor is the perfect balance of curvy Hollywood Regency, clean modern lines and lots of stylish worldly goods. Take note of the hanging fixtures in the kitchen and loft.

The photos are not great, I cut them from a clip on YouTube, but you get the idea of how classically stylish this home is!﻿

Stairs up to the kitchen, love the white brick wall. Janet is rocking her LBD like nobodies business!

I'm so loving the little metallic Chinese cabinet in the foreground.

Notice the curtain beyond the brick wall? I'm guessing there is a balcony on the other side of it.

An unfortunately fuzzy pic of the bedroom loft, but isn't the lighting fixture stunning?!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Hey pallies, likes I simply loves! loves! loves! findin' others who are so so deeply devoted to our most beloved Dino that they simply have to find very very public ways of homagin' our great man. Likes today, we goes to a French blog tagged "leral people" where we learn of Tunisian-French vocalist Mr. Dany Brillant and his ultra ultimate passion for our King of Cool.

Seems that Mr. Brillant has recently had a second boypallie born, and as you will read below Brillant has brillantly chosen the name Dean for his youngest prodigy. In Dany's own words, "Dean Martin, he is a different character, more relaxed, but with a lot of charm.

Likes ain't it likes just the coolest dudes to know this present day crooner has gifted his wee one with the name of our most beloved Dino. How truly blessed this kid is gonna be as a livin' tribute to daddy-o's amore of his Dino-hero!

Kudos to the pallies at "leral people" for sharin' this Dino-homagin' prose with their readership. And, huge huge appreciato to Mr. Dany Brillant for so openly and fully expressin' his love for our great man by giftin' his new boypallie with the tag of Dean! To view this in it's original format, simply clicks on the tag of this here Dino-gram. Dino-awed, DMP

Dany Brillant has changed the name of his son without the consent of his wife

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Father of two boys with Nathalie, Dany Brillant has been a blow to the mother immediately after birth of the first.

On that shot, Dany was not very brilliant. We apologize, it's easy, but it is not he who contradict us. On the occasion of the anniversary release of his album (yes, already twenty years career for the singer's shirt open to the navel), he gave a long interview in Gala. But first, we're not talking music, but diapers and bottles. Because Dany is the father of a second boy for three weeks. His name? Dean, as Dean Martin. To believe that the crooner Saint-Germain is fascinated by the big players, his first son called Lino. "Ventura is righteousness, honesty, the guy who can be trusted. Dean Martin, he is a different character, more relaxed, but with a lot of charm. These are names that reflect the two sides of my personality and also tell a universe of values ​​and this is important to me, "said he to the weekly.

Dany Brillant >>> "With my wife we ​​made room apart"

Looks like it's Dad who chose the name of children. Nathalie and his wife, she had his word to say? Not really, if one believes Dany. "I'll even tell you a secret: in fact Lino would not have been called as well, it was not the choice of Nathalie, he revealed. But when I went to register the birth of the baby ... I could not resist. I know it is not terrible terrible, I do not boast beyond. "Except in the columns of magazines. The reaction of his wife? "She has wanted a little, he has confessed. But today, it is the very cute name. I was sure my thing, sure it would be fine for my little boy. "It was worth it to negotiate for hours to agree.

Already the father of a teenage daughter, Leah, born from a previous marriage, the singer of 47 years is pleased to have his boys the forties. "If I had son earlier, I do not know if things would have gone well, there would surely have been conflicts as I had with my own father. I am glad that life has given me so late, because I'm ... calmed available. I finally found a form of serenity. "His meeting with Nathalie has also been crucial for him. "She taught me to love myself. [...] Thanks to her, I do not have to beat me, His love and that my son would have appeased. I have long been hostile to marriage and commitment before the meet. I've also been single for twelve years and very happy to be, I was like a teenager who was accountable to anyone, decided to live out all the adventures that came to him. "Today, Dany Brillant acting responsible father.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Hey pallies, likes it is so so amazin' the absolutely huge huge role that our most beloved Dino plays in the life of his devotees and those who love them. Case in point, today we meet up with Miss Lisa Lavia Ryan and learn how a singin' Dino-doll helps bring back important memories of her father.

From her blog, "Lisa Lisa No Cult Jam," and her prose "Thinking About Dean Martin," we are gifted with learnin' a bit 'bout her father's love of our Dino...includin' homagin' our great man by namin' the family pet dog after him.
And, we discover the role that her dad's singin' Dino-doll is playin' in her remembrances of her father.

Likes I am always always so moved to learn of others who lives have been touched deeply by their devotion to our King of Cool. ilovedinomartin sez our thanks to Miss Ryan for sharin' her memories with her readership. To read her thoughts at her blog, simply clicks on the tag of this Dino-message. Likes pallies, keeps lovin' our Dino and sharin' him with others you love! Dino-always, ever, and only, DMP

Monday, March 21, 2011

Thinking About Dean Martin

Several years ago, my dad and his wife bought a dog from a pet store. They took the dog to a veterinarian for his shots, and someone there asked what the dog's name was. Dad and Maxine hadn't yet discussed names, but my dad found himself saying, "His name is Dino."

Later, when I asked him how he had come up with that name, he responded, "Well, I guess I was just thinking about Dean Martin."

That always struck me as funny, mainly because I couldn't imagine a situation in which I'd find myself thinking of Dean Martin. But my dad was about 44 years older than I am, and we didn't share many cultural reference points.

Today, though, Dad is gone, and I find myself thinking of ... Dean Martin. When Dad became ill about a year and a half ago, he and Maxine moved from their townhome in Johnston to independent living in a senior facility in Clive. Shortly before the move, Maxine's daughters held a garage sale to minimize the number of items that would have to be moved to the new place.

We all had an opportunity, the night before the sale, to browse the tables and choose anything we wanted to take home. Dad had accumulated a lot of stuff over the years, and he was a bargain kind of guy -- there were tables and tables of videos, tapes, DVDs, small appliances, towels and sheets, curtains, and bric-a-brac of all types. I didn't see much I wanted or needed ... until I spotted Dean Martin.

Dean is made of plastic and some rubbery-type substance, and he stands about 13 inches high. When you press a red button in his base, Dean sings "That's Amore." His arm and mouth move. He has a five-o'-clock shadow. Someone had given him to Dad as a gift, but there he sat in the garage, alone, on a table. I scooped him up, put $10 in the cash box because it felt like the right thing to do, and went home.

The next day, I brought Dean to my office and placed him on my conference table, where he still sits. I was looking at him as I talked to my sister on the phone at lunchtime today about such things as Dad's will and his remaining belongings. She was asking if I could think if anything I wanted, and I said I couldn't -- maybe his jewelry box, if Maxine didn't have any use for it.

Dad didn't attach personal sentiment to material things. After my mom died, he donated her belongings; apparently if she wasn't there, he didn't want her things to be there, either, as reminders. I understand that. I have a few things of sentimental value I pilfered over the years -- some photographs, a tape measure with the name of one of his employers on it, and a toy tractor on which he stored his toupee in the '70s -- but I can't think of anything else I want or need. The memory of Dad is alive and well in my head, and the many picture frames I keep throughout my house.

And, of course, in Dean Martin. It's funny; I never saw Dad once push the button and make Dean sing. But long ago, I would watch him as he listened to recordings of Dean, or of Tony Bennett or Frank Sinatra, and he would have a far-away look in his eyes. I know he and my mom went to dances at various ballrooms around town, but she was gone by the time I was old enough to be conscious of such things. But after Mom died, as I grew from toddler to little girl, I became pretty sure there were other women and other parties.

I would imagine them on Saturday nights as I sat on his bed and watched him get ready to go out. He never actually told me he was going on dates, but I determined at a young age that the suits from Tursi's Park Avenue Shoe & Clothing, the gold chains and the Old Spice were not for his best buddy, John Burroughs. He'd say he was going out with John, but once in a while, a woman would call, and he'd act embarrassed.

So all those years ago, as he looped his Italian horn around his neck and fastened the garters on his gold-toe socks, I sat on the bed watching him and fantasized about the glamorous "dances," whatever those were. He would be whistling, and I remember asking him once, "Is that your favorite song?" He responded, using his nickname for me that I really didn't care for: "Punk, I like 'em all."

It's an ongoing theme of my life that I really never knew much about my dad. I grew up with him, and he was a constant presence; it just wasn't in his nature to share his personal thoughts or feelings. I'm made up of nothing but those things, so Dad and I sometimes were a prickly pair.

And now I'm left with Dean Martin, a talisman on my table, prompting my memories. Months ago, his battery wore out and he was silent. I've often thought that perhaps I should replace it, and maybe someday soon, I will. But for now -- fittingly, perhaps -- I find some comfort in the fact that Dean, like his former owner, doesn't seem to have a whole lot to say.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Hey pallies, likes today's Dino-reflections comes courtesy of one of our most delightful Dino-devotees, Miss AOW (Always On Watch). Miss AOW was johnny-on-the-Dino-spot to sends off the followin' Dino-epistle to ilovedinomartin after she was most pleasantly surprised to open up her Sunday home edition of the "Washington Post" and seein' a picture of that very homagin' mural of our Dino in Stu-ville..

Below is Miss AOW's special edition report exclusively for all us Dino-dudes gathered 'round ilovedinomartin. I'm sure all youse pallies are gonna enjoys Miss AOW's Dino-thoughts as much as I am, and we say our deepest of deepest Dino-thanks to her for sharin' her passion for our most beloved Dino in this very cool way..

Likes I found this 'specially interestin' folks as the Dino-mural is part of politico pontification on the part of the Post, and indeed our Miss AOW is so so politico herself. Keeps lovin' our Dino pallies, and likes why not leave Miss AOW a bit of patter expressin' your appreciato for her special efforts in the cause of Dino! Dino-always, ever, and only, DMP.

Imagine my delight when I opened up my home edition of the Sunday, September 23, 2012 edition of the Washington Post to see above the fold a photograph of the Steubenville mural honoring our Dino!
The caption under the WaPo's photo (All the photos are available HERE in this WaPo slideshow) reads as follows:

Famed entertainer Dean Martin was from Steubenville, Ohio, and a large mural painted on a grocery store honors him and his career.....
Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Of course, the Washington Post being the kind of newspaper that it is, particularly during a Presidential Election season, the photo of the Steubenville mural honoring our Dino accompanies a highly-political article, the online title of which is "In Ohio county, electorate is hardened and fractured."
The article is quite morose in that it deals primarily with the terrible economic problems in steel country:

This was once a place that seemed geographically blessed, growing prosperous on a 1,000-foot-wide navigable river that led downstream to the Mississippi, the Gulf of Mexico and the world beyond. Steubenville had four railroad lines leading to all points of the compass. Founded in 1797, the city became a jumping-off point to the vast Ohio Country and the seemingly limitless continental interior.
[..]
[J]obs are [now] scarce, the steel mills are hollowed out and many of the smokestacks spew nothing into a clean and clear post-industrial sky.
This place on the bank of the Ohio River is a vintage working-class community. Longtime residents have a memory of the steel mill’s whistle, of crowds on downtown sidewalks and plenty of jobs that could let a person with only a high school diploma raise a family and own a home....
[...]
Retired millworker John Meatris, 62, spent 41 years dealing with molten steel. He remembers how, when he was a child, downtown Steubenville was so crowded you could barely walk down the sidewalk on a Monday morning. He also remembers the soot falling out of the sky, coating everything to the point that you could write your name on a car windshield.

One of the picture captions points out this sad news about Steubenville, once such a bustling town:

The main mill in town has been shut down and sold for scrap.

According to some biographies, our Dino worked in that very mill, as did most of the Steubenville youth back in the day.
The body of the online print option of the article and the body of the hard copy newspaper offer only one mention of our Dino:

[Steubenville, Ohio] was a good place to grow up and get a job, as Dino Crocetti, born in 1917 on South Sixth Street in Steubenville, the son of a barber, discovered when he went off to work at the mill in nearby Weirton — though his honeyed voice led him to riches and fame under the name of Dean Martin.

[T]he Weirton Steel Corporation...was once a fully integrated steel mill employing over 12,000 people. It was the largest private employer and the largest taxpayer in West Virginia. This is no longer true. Due to reorganization of the steel industry, not only within the United States but worldwide, the Weirton plant, now part of the international giant Arcelor Mittal, currently operates only the tin-plating section of the mill (though still one of the country's largest tin-plate makers), with only 1,200 workers. During the early 1980s the employees of Weirton Steel endeavored to purchase the mill from National Steel Corporation as the largest ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Program) in the nation, saving the mill from bankruptcy.

Hard times.
Still, in 2012, nearly 17 years after the King of Cool left us on December 25, 1995, even a single mention of our Dino on the front page of a national newspaper is welcome!
A mention of our Dino brightens up every day!

Monday, September 24, 2012

Hey pallies, likes in honor of our most beloved Dino's most beloved boypallie Ricci James recent B-day, likes I found some Dino-croons by Ricci featured at his pad at "Reverbnation.' Likes if you clicks on the link of this Dino-gram you will goes directly there and gets treated to Ricci's wonderful renditions of three of our great man's great classics...."Arriverderci Roma," "Memories Are Made Of This," and, likes of course, "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime. And, as an extra bonus, likes there is also an audio sampler of many many of the Dino-croons he shares in his live homagin' of his daddy-o.

Kudos to Ricci James for passionately sharin' his love of his amazin' father with us and for puttin' up some of his performances at "Reverbnation" to all of our Dino-delight! Keeps lovin' our Dino o'pallies of mine! Dino-always, ever, and only, DMP..

.

For six decades, Dean Martin entertained millions of adoring fans around the world. Since 2003, his son, Ricci Martin, has traveled around the globe entertaining countless numbers of fans - both young and old alike - in a profoundly entertaining show...

The show features Ricci singing the classic hits of his father as he celebrates his life like you've never seen before...

Reviews of the show and audience response have been tremendous! “It’s loaded with music, personal photos and true life stories not only about Dean Martin, the international Entertainer, but also Dean Martin, the Father” - and they are told from the heart by none other than his son, Ricci...

The idea of the show? Credit the talent of the versatile singer, songwriter, musician, and producer, Ricci Martin. “Ricci's vocals truly make each of Dean's classic hits come alive!” Then there's the WIT and humor; ”Ricci's one-on-one interaction with the audience always brings laughter and other surprises. The show features Ricci singing the classic hits of his father as he celebrates his life like you've never seen before...

Ricci's band includes veteran world-class musicians and singers, including Bobby Figueroa (drums, vocals), Robert Zarate (keyboard, vocals), Jimi Seville (piano, vocals) and Jerry Vilicich (bass).
Catch a show and enjoy the fun!

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Hey pallies! Welcome back! Found us such a pretty & relaxin' tune, "Let Me Know", for this week's Serenade. As a matter o' fact pals...that's exactly the name of Dean's 1966 al b um that I grabbed this little ditty from..."Relaxin'".

Man...Dean REALLY wants this chicalina back!!! You can just tell how sincere and upset he is!!! Such feelin'...such emotion...Dino is just OOZIN' with heartache on this one!!! "Let me know the moment he let's you go...I'll be here to welcome you to my arms". Wow! Now THAT'S some serious croonin'!!!

This one just seems to fit on a rainy, lazy Sunday. And if your feelin' a little bit blue...Just come to Dean & he'll never let you go! Enjoy!

Friday, September 21, 2012

Hey pallies,likes, likes it seems recently I am behind the Dino-times. First of all, I got behind in postin' the Dino-anniversary of our most beloved Dino's debut of his amazin' Dean Martin Variety Show, and now, likes yester-Dino-day I missed postin' the remembrance of the birth of our Dino's youngest boypallie Ricci James...so here it is todays with special apologies to Ricci for missin' the day of his joinin' family Martin..

It was on September 20, 1953 that our Dino's youngest boypallie, Ricci James, made his entrance into the world. Ricci has shown his deep, pure, and true devotion to his daddy-o by scribin' a wonderful bio of what it was like livin' in fam Martin. Likes if you haven't read "That's Amore," I would hugely hugely encourage you to gets yourself a copy and soak deeply in Ricci's cool remembrances of bein' a child of the King of Cool.

And, since 2003 Ricci James has toured the globe helpin' keep his father's amazin' life, times, and legacy alive doin' his very own outstandin' Dino-trib. Likesfor this Dino-holic, likes Ricci's greatest efforts in showin' amore to his father was when he created our Dino's one and only MTV music vid, "Since I Met You Baby" in 1982...and he tells such wonderful tales 'bout the filmin' of the vid in his Dino-bio.

Below are some fav pixs of Dino's youngest male prodigy, as well as a couple of clips of Ricci's Dino-trib. And, likes I just couldn't resist again sharin' our Dino at his finest in the "Since I Met You Baby" MTV vid.

ilovedinomartin sends the happiest of belated happy B-day wishes to Ricci on his day, with mucho mucho Dino-appreciato for likes all he has done, is doin', and will always continue to do to lift up the name of his most beloved daddy-o and helpin' tons more pallies to come to know, love, and honor our most amazin' Dino! Dino-devotedly, DMP

Hey pallies, gots some great Dino-news to share with all youse dudes! On October 9, 2012...just a few short weeks away, 'nother great big screen Dino-effort will be made available to us on DVD. From the pallies at Books-A-Million, we learn that that hippest of hip Dino-westerns, "Something Big" will finally be released for our Dino-viewin' pleasure. "Big" was first released in November of 1971, and it is the next-to-last western that our most beloved Dino starred in.

Likes pallies, likes how thrillin' to soon be able to add this flick to our Dino-treasures! Slowly, but surely, each and every one of our great man's great 51 films is bein' released for our constant Dino-viewin' pleasure....but don't wait pallies 'cause a number of previously released Dino-discs are no longer in Dino-circulation.

Below is all the great details 'bout "Something Big" from the pallies at Books-A-Million...and btw, these dudes are the very first to gives us a glimpse of what the cover of the DVD is goin' to be likes. Thanks to the pallies at BAM for givin' us all this info. To checks it out there, simply clicks on the tag of this here Dino-report. Keeps lovin' our Dino and keeps collectin' dem Dino-treasures! Dino-only, DMP

Overview In this western, an outlaw anxiously awaits the arrival of his betrothed, who is under the false impression that her fiancé is worth a fortune. Unfortunately, the fellow has earned nothing during his stint in the West. Desperate to keep her, he begins plotting the theft of a Mexican bandit's loot. But before he can, he will need a Gatling gun. He knows a man who has one, but the gun owner refuses to part with it unless the outlaw agrees to find him a woman. The outlaw then kidnaps a likely candidate from a stage coach. Unfortunately, he doesn't realize that the woman is a colonel's wife. Later as he is hauling his heavy gun, he runs into the colonel who is looking for his missing wife. A shoot out ensues and things look bleak for the outlaw until the colonel's wife intervenes and suggests to her husband that since he is about to retire, he ought to allow the fellow to take the chance and try to pull off the heist.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Hey pallies, likes today's Dino-missive comes from Malaysia and the on-line presence of the "Malay Mail," and likes it is a totally totally stunnin' follow-up to yester-Dino-day's accent on our most beloved Dino as coolster sypster Matt Helm.
From the weekly "Malay Mail" column "Famous" where Mr. Daniel Chan hangs his hat, we gets some swingin' prose tagged "In like Flint, and Helm - Bond’s major rivals during spymania in the 1960s."

Chan's tag for his post pretty much sums up his presentation, comparin' and contrastin' the Flint and Helm franchises. How cool to have this in-the-know Malaysian takin' on "spymania" flicks which are over 40 years old...all 'cause of the showcasin' of "first 20 James Bond movies and the first two Matt Helm films" this month over at Cinemax this month.

This Daniel dude gives a very credible nod to our great man as the great Matt Helm, and it is so so pleasin' to present 'nother great example of how Dino-devotion continues to grow hugely in international dimensions.

So, likes sits back and enjoy Mr. Daniel Chan's Dino-centric Matt Helm reflections. ilovedinomartin sez our appreciato to Mr. Chan for helpin' spread some Dino-love to his readership and helpin' countless to turn their attention to our King of Cool. To read this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tag of this here Dino-report. Dino-devotedly, DMP

In like Flint, and Helm
Bond’s major rivals during spymania in the 1960s

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 - 16:17

by Daniel Chan

THERE’S a whiff of 1960s spymania over Astro’s Cinemax channel 412 this month with the screening of the first 20 James Bond movies and the first two Matt Helm films.

During the Swinging Sixties, Helm and Derek Flint were, for a brief spell worthy American rivals to British secret agent 007.

Singer-actor Dean Martin portrayed Helm four times, in 1966’s The Silencers, which was a huge box-office hit, and Murderers’ Row the same year (the two films screened over Cinemax this month), 1967’s The Ambushers and 1969’s The Wrecking Crew, while James Coburn, previously best known as a member of 1960’s The Magnificent Seven, got his big break as Flint in 1966’s Our Man Flint and 1967’s In Like Flint.

The Helm movies were loosely based on the novels by US author Donald Hamilton (1916-2006) with the screen versions deviating substantially in terms of plot and characterisation of the hero.

In the 27 Helm novels by Hamilton published from 1960 to 1993, Helm was a tough, deadly US government assassin of enemy agents, not unlike British author Ian Fleming’s Bond who’s licenced to kill. Bond predated Helm in the book world, as the 14 Bond novels by Fleming (1908-1964) were published from 1953 to 1966.

The Helm movies were Bond spoofs made strictly for laughs with little tension in the action. Martin, who had co-produced the Helm series, imposed his own persona of a laidback, wisecracking and skirtchasing playboy with Helm as a fashion photographer who habitually romances his bevy of models and who occasionally moonlights as a hitman for a US government agency called Intelligence and Counter-Espionage (ICE) whereas in Hamilton’s novels, the agency was never named.

Martin, the second-incommand in singer-actor Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack, certainly indulged himself to the hilt, including having his romantic hit songs being played during his romantic escapades, and compared to Bond, Helm got to kiss more women in each movie.

In the four movies, Helm foiled plots to divert an American missile into an underground atomic bomb testing site in New Mexico (The Silencers, shades of Dr No), threat of city-wide destruction from a laserlike beam from an orbiting satellite (Murderers’ Row), the misuse of a governmentbuilt flying saucer hijacked by a terrorist (The Ambushers) and the collapse of the world economy through the theft of gold bullion (The Wrecking Crew, shades of Goldfinger).

The Helm movies were less gadget-laden than the Bond movies, and Helm was equipped with some amusing firearms, notably, a pistol that shoot backwards (The Silencers) and a pistol that fires by 10-second delay after being triggered (Murderers’ Row). Helm also killed an enemy with a poison dart fired from a cigarette and this happened in Murderers’ Row, a year before the same weapon was used by Bond in 1967’s You Only Live Twice... as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Problem was the quality of the Helm movies dropped from movie to movie, and at the end credits of the fourth movie, viewers were informed of a fifth film called The Ravagers, but Martin decided not to go on. In 1975-76, there was a Matt Helm TV series starring Anthony Franciosa in the title role, but now as a private eye, but the hourlong series lasted only 14 episodes.

Moving on to Flint, he was created directly for the big screen by Hal Fimberg, as a freelance secret agent for an Interpol-styled agency known as ZOWIE, an acronym for the ridiculouslynamed Zonal Organisation World Intelligence Espionage.

Coburn was well-cast as the cool and groovy Flint, a sophisticated modern Renaissance man who can speak 45 languages fluently, has degrees in various scientific and artistic disciplines from 17 universities, won Olympic medals in five different events, holds a black belt in judo, is a master fencer, also a ballet instructor, a renowned painter, and talks to dolphins!

As a lover, Flint is oneup on Bond and Helm as, at his high-tech apartment, he keeps a personal harem comprising four women of American, European, Latin and Asian ethnicities. Oh, yeah, he has a custommade cigarette lighter with 82 uses, or as he nonchalantly puts it, “83 if you count the flame”.

The Flint role vaulted Coburn into leading actor status, and in the twilight of his career, he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for 1997’s Affliction, as an abusive father. Our Man Flint had a passable plot of three mad scientists using a weather-control machine to blackmail the world. However, the franchise was sunk by the In Like Flint sequel with a ludicruous plot of an international feminist conspiracy to take over the world by kidnapping the US President and replacing him with a compliant double.

While Helm and Flint did not have staying power as movie franchises, the irony is that their spy spoof approach ultimately influenced the Bond producers to embrace self-parody during the seven times Roger Moore played Double-OSeven from 1973 to 1985.

Over the past few years in the Hollywood grapevine, there’s persistent buzz that two-time Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg is interested in reviving the Matt Helm movie franchise as a producer, and perhaps even directing one or two... after hitting the big time with 1975’s Jaws, Spielberg made it known that he was interested in directing a Bond movie, but the Bond producers weren’t keen to compromise on creative control. Times has certainly changed as the upcoming 23rd Broccoliproduced Bond movie, Skyfall, is being helmed by Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Hey pallies, likes today we are in for a real real Dino-treat....a very insightful and intellectial piece of Dino-prose from the pen of Mr. Gene Phillips at his high-tone flick blog, "NATURALISTIC! UNCANNY! MARVELOUS! - A blog devoted to sorting out the phenomenology of film." Mr. Phillips indeed is very high-tone as we learn from his bio that this Houston resident has spent his workin' days for museums and libraries and his evocative intro states, "Having worked for the majority of comics fanzines at one time or another, I qualify as both the best-loved and least-loved synoptic critic of the comics medium ...that is, by virtue of being the only one."

Likes gotta 'fess up that I had to look up the definition of "phenomenology" on the 'net and the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines it as " the study of structures of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view. The central structure of an experience is its intentionality, its being directed toward something, as it is an experience of or about some object. An experience is directed toward an object by virtue of its content or meaning (which represents the object) together with appropriate enabling conditions."

Likes, likes I still can't put it into my own lingo...but likes we know this is gonna be an extremely educational review of Helmer flicks numero uno and duo. I do know that I will show how wee my actual education is if I try to say more 'bout this dude's Dino-reflections, but I also know that likes I am diggin' 'em to the max...it is just so so cool to have this astute scriber speak of our Dino's big screen efforts in such intriguin' ways.

So, likes takes the time dudes to soak in Mr. every every Dino-image and gets likes a REAL EDUCATION on the pleasures of our most beloved Dino swingin' as spyster Matt Helm. ilovedinomartin sez KUDOS to Mr. for such a wonderful piece of Dino-devotion. To view this in it's original format, as usual, just clicks on the tag of this here Dino-report. Dino-always, only, and ever, DMP

The one thing that distinguishes the “Matt Helm” films of the 1960s is how well they capture the “PLAYBOY swinger” culture of the period. The films take the name of the hero, and titles of selected books, from the Donald Hamilton “Matt Helm” paperback series, but nothing else, for the books are hardboiled, naturalistic espionage adventures. The four films starring Dean Martin as superspy Helm exist in a world even more flagrant with science-fiction gadgets and gimmicks than the entirety of Bond films from that decade. The phenomenality of this world, with its solar death rays and coat-buttons that turn into grenades, cannot be other than marvelous in nature.

The symbolic discourse of the Helm films, though, is more dubious. Though I’ve said the films embody the “swinger” cultural fantasy, saying that doesn’t give one any means by which to judge the *mythicity* of these spy-fantasies. As mentioned elsewhere, a narrative has high mythicity in relation to the complexity of its symbolic discourse, quite apart from its value as pure entertainment.

So what if the entertainment is politically incorrect? The Helm films, like many superspy narratives— particularly the James Bond novels of Ian Fleming, the main source of the subgenre—constantly put hot women on display, though not as explicitly as the infamous PLAYBOY spreads. At the same time, the superspy genre wasn’t entirely devoted to the humiliation of women, and it spawned not a few characters—Emma Peel, Modesty Blaise—who became icons of feminine (and sometimes feminist) rebellion.

As it happens, one of Ian Fleming’s characters, Pussy Galore of the 1959 Bond novel GOLDFINGER, has become one of the mythic touchstones of both the novel series and the film adaptations of the Fleming books. And this mythicity remains strong despite the fact that her creator depicts her in rather demeaning terms, while her film-adapters depict her in more empowering (and for this time, more politically correct) terms. The coyly-named Miss Galore, then, offers a paradigm for showing mythicity in spite of the creator or adapter’s political orientation.

In Fleming’s book, Galore—a lesbian henchwoman of the titular villain Goldfinger-- symbolizes all of Fleming’s conservative—even primitive—opinions on the nature of lesbianism. By the book’s conclusion Bond wins Pussy over for Team Hetero, though there's some intimation that she joins him against Goldfinger as a way of reducing her sentence. That said, in her prose appearance Pussy’s mythicity rates as “fair” given that Fleming makes her the vehicle of his sociological beliefs in a relatively thoughtful manner, no matter what one thinks of said beliefs.

In contrast, the Pussy Galore of the 1963 film GOLDFINGER barely references the lesbian nature of the book-version, though there are a few lines to indicate that Pussy resists Bond’s suavity because she plays for another team. This Pussy is portrayed on screen by actress Honor Blackman, who prior to the 1964 film had essayed a heroic female spy-type on the AVENGERS teleseries. Possibly in deference to fans who expected Blackman to play another such character, film-Pussy defends herself against Bond’s advances with judo-skills. Bond still manages to convert her to his team, this time with a forceful persuasion that some would consider rape. In the end she still joins him against Goldfinger, however, with a little less implication that she did it to save herself some years in prison.
Therefore, when I evaluate the way the Matt Helm films stack in comparison in terms of either demeaning or empowering archetypes of femininity, they stand or fail not in terms of political correctness, but according to the “Pussy test.”

Oddly, THE SILENCERS begins with hero Matt Helm (Dean Martin) no longer working for the American intelligence organization I.C.E., though the nature of the dispute is never disclosed. He doesn’t seem worried about being out of a job, and still maintains an expensive bachelor pad, a secretary, and assorted seduction amenities, not least being an automated bed that dumps into occupants into a waiting pool. (No worries about a dearth of “precious bodily fluids” here.) Female agent Tina (Daliah Lavi), one of Helm’s many former lovers, successfully brings Helm back into the fold to thwart the master plan of Chinese mastermind Tung-Tze (Victor Buono), which will foment nuclear war between the superpowers. By film’s end Tina’s mission to return Helm to the field will look a little strange, for then it’s revealed that she’s a double agent working for Tung-Tze. Say what you will of Bond’s villains; at least they don’t go out of their way to encourgage the hero in his heroic efforts.

As in many superspy films, the sophisticated “bad girl” finds competition for the hero’s favors from a more naïve heroine, often a non-combatant accidentally drawn into the spy game. When Helm and Tina seek out an informant—played by apparently slumming musical-star Cyd Charisse—the informant is killed and Gail (Stella Stevens) is the last to hear the informant’s dying words. Due to various contrivances Helm suspects Gail of being a henchwoman of his enemy. He then goes out of his way to maltreat her, such as ripping off her dress to look for concealed weapons. Gail calls him a “sadist” at this point, and there certainly does seem a sadistic vibe in the script, going far beyond the usual movie-motif of showing two potential bedmates butting heads. Though the audience pretty much knows that Gail is just an unlucky innocent, she’s still the victim of innumerable “comic” humiliations. At least when the James Bond of the GOLDFINGER book bends Pussy Galore to his will, he actually thinks he’s doing her a good turn.

Probably the most noteworthy scene in the film—far more memorable than the hero’s anemic fights and gun-battles against the villain’s forces—transpires when Helm forces Gail to accompany him on a cross-country trip to check out the last words of the informant. When they camp out in the car for the night, Helm—despite his professed belief that Gail’s an enemy spy— casts forth enough innuendos that Gail tries to sleep outside the car. The script promptly spends several minutes deluging her with rain and mud, so that she eventually gets back in the car and succumbs to the inevitable. One wonders if the scriptwriter was punishing some girl who left him sitting alone in his car at Makeout Point.

Eventually Helm and Gail are captured by Tung-Tze’s forces and are conveniently brought to the villain’s base of operations, where Helm proceeds to break free and destroy everything with his button-grenades. Tina proves herself to be bad and Gail overcomes her naivete enough to assist Helm to a small degree. The climax isn’t very impressive even for a Bond imitation, though it’s of interest that Victor Buono—known for scenery-chewing villains like “King Tut” on the BATMAN teleseries—plays the character of Tung-Tze straight, succeeding in giving him a quiet menace.

MURDERER’S ROW follows the same pattern as SILENCERS. Malevolent mastermind Julian Wall (Karl Malden) captures American scientist Dr. Solaris in order to wring from him the secret of (what else?) a solar super-weapon, with which Wall hopes to bring the world to its knees. In this Wall has the usual small army, and two main allies. One is the “bad girl” of the story, Wall’s mistress Coco (Camilla Sparv), who proves somewhat sympathetic to Helm’s cause, though for a change she doesn’t become one of the superspy’s bed-partners. Wall’s other main aide is “Ironhead,” a tough enforcer-type who has a metallic dome covering the top of his skull. This character proves more visually imposing rather than Malden’s unimpressive mastermind-character, and makes it possible for Helm to engage in a few half-decent fight-scenes.

Again, the most impressive element in the script is the “innocent outsider/good girl” who gets drafted into Helm’s adventure—but the script’s treatment of Suzie (Ann-Margret) is precisely the opposite of SILENCERS’ treatment of Gail. As Suzie is the daughter of the captured scientist Solaris, she’s automatically given a greater motive for becoming Helm’s aide despite her inexperience, but the script also goes out of its way to make her as clever and vivacious as Gail was made klutzy and awkward. Indeed, Ann-Margaret’s characterization of Suzie is of a piece with a similar “hot number” in 1964’s VIVA LAS VEGAS. In that film, Ann-Margret’s energy was well-matched with that of Elvis Presley. Here, when Suzie tries to dance with Helm at a discoteche, he’s almost immediately exhausted by her energy—one of the few times any of the four Helm films acknowledge Dean Martin’s advancing age. Perhaps Ann-Margret’s greater star-power insured that the scripters didn’t try to put her through the same wringer they used on Stella Stevens.

MURDERER’S ROW, in addition to giving audiences a more vibrant heroine, is richer in its employment of quasi-surrealistic fantasy-scenarios. Helm is picked up in the scoop of a huge steam-shovel. Helm drives a hovercraft through the streets of a major city. Ironhead imprisons Helm in a giant centrifuge and jokes that it’ll turn Helm into a “milkshake” with its pumping action. Given that from the first the series was focused on exploiting the most fantastic aspects of the Bond film-series, it’s somewhat pleasant to see ROW go all-out in the absurdity department.

Finally, we come back to “the Pussy test.” Suzie is certainly a more admirable heroine than Gail, but does she possess any greater symbolic complexity? The answer is no, though with the caveat that none of the characters, including Matt Helm, are anything more than simple stereotypes. Oddly enough, SILENCERS ends with a come-on for the same-year sequel, and pays unusual attention to repeating the name of the secretary-character seen briefly at the film's beginning: “Lovey Kravezit.” Maybe the producers wanted to make sure everyone in the audience "got" the transparent pun modeled on “Pussy Galore.” But the imitation of the name is all that the Helm series could duplicate. In every other way, strangely for a series so devoted to heterosexual conquest, the filmmakers just couldn't manage to “get Pussy.”

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Hey pallies, likes you just never ever know where our most beloved Dino is goin' to turn up next. Today we turn to the blog of the Archdiocese of Cinncinati, "Being Catholic" and it's feature "Lighthearted Moments" where Miss Mary Anne Bressler, " a parishioner and Pastoral Associate at St. Anthony Church in Madisonville and an adjunct faculty member at Xavier University" scribes 'bout her real life experience of leadin' a prayer service at a retirement community with none other then our great man by her side.

This is indeed a very lighthearted Dino-moment that all you pallies are certainly goin' what to read 'bout. ilovedinomartin sez our thanks to Miss Mary Anne Bressler for sharin' her Dino-encounter with her readership...sure to bring a smile to all who read it. To view this in it's original format, just clicks on the tag of this Dino-report. Dino-smilin', DMP

July 24th, 2012

by Mary Anne Bressler

It’s not all so serious

I’m pretty sure that a sense of the ridiculous is a gift straight from God. There are just too many amusing, entertaining and downright silly occurrences in life for that not to be true, and many of these moments happen in the context of ministry. I suspect they are God’s way of keeping us from getting too weighted down or taking ourselves too seriously.

For many years I provided childcare for an ecumenical Vacation Bible School that my parish coordinated with other neighboring congregations. Some of the children of the drama volunteers saw quite a bit of me as I watched them for a few weeks before VBS began while their parents practiced. One day one of the mothers told me that her child had asked her if they were going to visit St. Mary Anne. Flattering, but probably not predictive!

In my new position, I do a prayer service once a week at a nearby retirement community. The prayer service takes place in the theater of the facility. I must admit that the ambiance is interesting. There are pictures on the walls of stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood. The cross, candles and ciborium sit on a ledge in front of the screen. The “pews” are movie theater seats.

But my favorite part is the life-size cardboard cut-out that stands right next to the “pulpit” (a podium). The first time I went there as an observer it was Judy Garland. Next time, when I was leading the prayer, it was Dean Martin. I have to say it was slightly disconcerting to have Dino standing beside me while I prayed. (At least he wasn’t holding a martini!) I’m pretty sure Dean was Catholic, so maybe he enjoyed being represented. Nevertheless, I think next week I’ll move him next to Humphrey Bogart.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Hey pallies, likes so so sorry not to have gotten this posted on the exact Dino-date...but likes couldn't let this world changin' Dino-event slip by without some Dino-patterin. What is that world changin' event that happened on Thursday, September 16, 1965?

Well, likes I am sure that anybody who calls themselves a devotee of our Dino coulda tells you that at 10 p.m. Eastern Time/ 9 p.m. Central Time on Thursday night the 16th of September in the year of our Dino 1965 that the Dean Martin Variety Show premiered on the Peacock Channel, and indeed the world has never ever been the same again.

Our most beloved Dino entered the livin' rooms of countless billions of folks every week at the same appointed hour each week for nine years (oh yeah, changin' from Thursday night to Friday night the last year).....makin' the world happier and hipper, classier and cooler, and oh so much more revelin' and randy sorta place.

The best thin' that our Dino did was finally sayin' yes to the pallies at NBC and bringin' the world to our Dino's feet. Certainly the showcasin' of our King of Cool to the masses via the little screen brought those masses to knowin', lovin' and becomin' devoted to our great man.

While Dino had huge followin' from his stage, screen, and recordin' missions, it was truly truly his presence weekly on NBC that made him the mega star that he so so richly deserved...and why pallies of all ages and stages are still hungerin' to get their hands on those 9 years worth of those Dino-episodes.

In rememberin' and homagin' this hugest of huge days in Dino-history, ilovedinomartin shares with you some of our most fav fav of moments from the Dino-show via the magic of youtube. First up is a clip from the very first episode on September 16, 1965 followed by fab moments of our Dino and the Sam man, of our Dino and lonesome George Gobel, and our Dino singin' one of his signature tunes, "Welcome To My World."

Indeed pallies all 'round the globe thrilled to be welcomed into our Dino's world of cool, hip, and randy for those 9-count-'em-9 stunnin' years of Dino-magic.

We thanks D J Randy B for liftin' up this magical moment in Dino-time and remindin' us of the date when our Dino conquered the little screen for his very own. To read this in it's original format, simply clicks on the tag of this here Dino-gram. Dino-rememberin' and celebratin', DMP

1965: NBC-TV premieres The Dean Martin Show, featuring the theme song (and recent hit) "Everybody Loves Somebody," and, later, a chorus of beautiful showgirls named The Golddiggers. The famously laid-back and largely improvised show, which made stars of Dom DeLuise, Charles Nelson Reilly, Tom Bosley, and Nipsey Russell, would run for a full decade.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Man o man pals...have I got us a swingin' little jam for today's Serenade!!! A very dear friend actually turned me on to "Just Kiss Me"...and as God as my judge...I CAN'T STOP LISTENIN'!!! It's just sooo sooo fun & sooo sooo Dino! No one else could pull this one off like our pallie!

Now if I'M this excited bout' this great great find...I can't even imagine how the LADIES out there are gonna take it! C'mon now pals...here's Dean Martin himself...croonin' & swoonin' for just a little kiss!!!

What lovely lady could say NO???!!! O man, there may be riotin' in the streets!!! Hahaha!!! OK...I told youse I was excited!!! Turn this one way way up while I go pour me some liquid relaxation! Enjoy!

Friday, September 14, 2012

Hey pallies, likes for a change of pace, ilovedinomartin offers whata might be considered a random post from "Hollywood Elsewhere" where blogger "Jeffrey Wells writes a daily stream-of-Hollywood-consciousness column. I was intrigued by the tag of Wells' scribin' when I came 'cross it through the efforts of google 'lerts..."Living High In Dirty Business of Dreams...and likes thought it musta be all 'bout Nick Tosches' brilliant Dino-bio.

Well, likes you will see below, there is a brief mention of that enthrallin' Dino-tome, but likes the major focus of this Dino-devotion is a great pix of an advert for the opennin' of "Sailor Beware" in the winter of 1952. It's a huge huge billboard in the heart of NYC drawin' pallies attention to the newest Martin and Lewis caper.

Likes I calls this post sorta random 'cause of the "random" Dino-insights shared by Wells 'bout James Dean and Corinne Calvet...but likes I always always loves each and every Dino-detail presented. ilovedinomartin salutes Mr. Jeffery Wells for puttin' the accent on our Dino in this way and for remindin' his readership of the life and times of our most beloved Dino. To read this in it's original format, just clicks on the tag of this here Dino-gram. Dino-'chanted, DMP

Living High In Dirty Business of Dreams

As Sailor Beware opened on February 9, 1952, this photo was almost certainly taken that month. You'd never know it from the billboard, but this Hal Wallis-produced film was shot in black-and-white. James Dean has a walk on-role with a single line of dialogue -- "That guy's a professional!" If memory serves, Nick Tosches' "Dino" biography reports that Martin and costar Corinne Calvet didn't have it off before, during or after principal photography.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Hey pallies, likes of late one of the most popular ways that bloggers are liftin' up the name of our most beloved Dino is in the form of reviews of Dino-flicks, and certainly watchin' our Dino in his big screen efforts is truly one of the best ways of fallin' for our great man.

Today we turn our attention to the blog "Extra Butter - Film Reviews in a Nutshell," where a blogger who tag is "Shahamallama" holds forth. Shahamallama is an English: Film Studies/Communications major at Appalachian State University, which would lead us to suspect that they are likely youthful in age, and obviously passionate 'bout the silver screen.

The flick that Shahamallama has taken on is that Dino-classic of classics, "Rio Bravo"...certainly a great place to start in explorin' our Dino's screen presence.While this review is short in length as Shahamallama is true-to-their words "in a Nutshell," it is wonderfully sweet in it's Dino-admiration. Truly, deeply, and purely does this flick reviewer "get Martin" as the Dude. Listen to these brillant words of Dino-knowin'...

"Dean Martin has enough charm to upstage the great John Wayne, which is good news if the Duke rubs you the wrong way. Martin's character, Dude, is the most sympathetic and dynamic character in the town, made so by Martin's sincere performance (and crooning vocals at some points.)"

Likes need I say more pallies, likes I don't think so. ilovedinomartin expresses our deepest of deep Dino-appreciato to Shahamallama for their glowin' review of our Dino in "Rio Bravo." Certainly hopes this pallie will find it within 'em to review more of our great man's 51 great flicks. To view this in it's original format, likes clicks on the tag of this Dino-report. Dino-always, ever, and only, DMP

Rio Bravo

Master director Howard Hawks worked in many genres and left a big impression in each of them, including the Western. Rio Bravo is a charming one--a long one, but a sincere, funny, and exciting one, too.

John Wayne--who else?--stars as Sheriff John T. Chance, who arrests the brother of a wealthy crime lord and must detain him until the U.S. marshal arrives. To hold off the swarms of hired men trying to spring his prisoner, Chance has only two deputies: a cantankerous old cripple (Walter Brennan) and ex-lawman, sober for the first time in two years (Dean Martin).

Rio Bravo is funny for a Western. A man still has to do what a man has to do, but there are no speeches about it, for one thing. For another, Wayne and his love interest (Angie Dickinson) have some awkwardly funny--if stereotypical--romantic scenes. The best humor, however, comes from Brennan's hobbled, old coot.

Dean Martin has enough charm to upstage the great John Wayne, which is good news if the Duke rubs you the wrong way. Martin's character, Dude, is the most sympathetic and dynamic character in the town, made so by Martin's sincere performance (and crooning vocals at some points.)

If you have the time for a slow-moving but endearing Western, Rio Bravo is for you, but I suppose the opposite would be Cowboys & Aliens. Your call.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Hey pallies, likes I just gotta 'fess up that when I read the tag of today's Dino-post, "Loaded Dino," likes I simply gots the hugest of huge Dino-buddha-grins on my face 'cause loaded is such a cool descriptive of our most beloved Dino... our Dino is LOADED with talent...our Dino is LOADED with amore,....and, likes of course, our Dino loves to gets LOADED!

Anywho, likes I knew we were goin' to be in for a real treat when I came 'cross this "gem" of a blog, "MiShel Designs" where pearl expert Michelle (Shel) holds forth and lovin'ly proclaims her deep, pure, and true devotion to our Dino in her post "Loaded Dino." As you will discover when you reads her Dino-reflections, the "loaded" actually refers to how Shel has loaded our great man onto her ipod.

Shel proclaims the pure and simply Dino-truth when she sez, "To me, Dean Martin has the best voice ever!" She then goes on to relate a wonderful Dino-tale from her youth and share with her readership three fav vids of our Dino. And, it turns out this Dino-phile is preparin' a trip to the land of Dino...Italy...and likes am sure she will be takin' her Dino-croons with her. Likes how totally awesome would it be to be listenin' to our great man while visitin' the land of Dino-heritage!

Kudos to Miss Shel for sharin' her passion for our most beloved Dino with her readership and helpin' 'em grow in knowin', lovin', and honorin' our Dino. To view this in it's original format, likes clicks on the tag of this here Dino-report. Keeps lovin' our most lovable Dino! Dino-only, DMP

Loaded Dino

I mean, loading Dino.

On my iPod.

Well, actually he's already loaded,...

On The iPod!

Geeze,....what are you guys thinking?!!

Here's a clip.

To me, Dean Martin has the best voice ever!

One year, when the "Masked Rider" was about 11 or so, we actually learned all the words to "On an Evening in Roma" (Sott'er Celo De Roma) while we were driving home from the cabin. We were singing (in Italian) at the top of our lungs just as the photo radar snapped a lovely pic of us coming down the hill into Payson. Never did see that pic in the mail. Guess the folks at DMV had too much fun laughing at us that they had to keep it for themselves! Good thing it didn't come with sound. We would have been really fined for that one!!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Hey pallies, likes today we gets 'nother great op to put the accent on the randiest of randy Dino-flicks. From the blog, "I Probably Liked It - Short movie reviews written by a guy who just likes to like movies," a dude tagged Jim Silas Moore has taken on the responsibility of reviewin' that long-before-it's-time classic Dino-comedy, "Kiss Me Stupid." Blogger Jim makes the astute observation that KMS is "smart, funny, and edgy for its time."

However Moore is not nearly astute 'bout our most beloved Dino. Interestin'ly this guy states that "Dean Martin wasn't actually a huge part of the movie," and then goes on to question how "aware" our great man was in playin' the role. It's clear that Mr. Moore in probably not much "aware" of the amazin' talents that our great man displayed in the huge array of roles that he played on the big screen....from classic westerns likes "Rio Bravo" (where our Dino was robbed of even a Oscar nod), to huge dramatic successes like "The Young Lions," to spyster gigs like the Matt Helm flicks (which our Dino full of self-awareness plays as swingin' romps, to the huge 16 comedic successes of the Martin and Lewis flicks.

But, even though I truly believe that reviewer Mr. Moore simply does not give our Dino his due, it is cool to find 'nother blogger drawin' his readers attention to probably our great man's most underated role. So, thanks to blogger Jim for sharin' his review of Billy Wilder's "Kiss Me Stupid." To checks this out in it's original format, simply clicks on the tag of this Dino-gram. Dino-focused, DMP

Kiss Me, Stupid, by Billy Wilder, 1964

I'm not much for the crooners, so I really never felt much need to watch any of the movies featuring the Rat Pack guys. The only movie I think I've ever seen with one of those guys is Scorsese's The King of Comedy with Jerry Lewis. I'm not even sure if that counts. Anyway, if it weren't for Billy Wilder, I don't think I ever would have given a Dean Martin movie a shot, but as expected with Wilder, Kiss Me, Stupid is smart, funny, and edgy for its time.

Dean Martin stars as himself, though just referred to as "Dino" throughout. Like Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch, he's playing a broadly exaggerated version of the way the public perceives him. You know, drunken and lecherous. He's pretty gross in this movie, but I always assumed he was pretty gross in real life too, so I don't know how exaggerated it is. I just assume there was some self awareness going into his performance.

Anyway, Dean Martin drives through a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, Climax, Nevada (get it?). When a couple of struggling songwriters named Orville and Barney (Ray Walston and Cliff Osmond) stumble across him, they concoct a plan to strand Dino there overnight so they can pitch him their songs. Dino refuses to deal with them because he's horny, and he hears good things about Orville's wife (HINT HINT). Orville understands the implied trade, a night with his wife for a song, but can't bring himself to sell her out like that (plus he's worried that she, a HUGE Dino fan, just might say yes). So they do the right (?) thing and instead of prostituting Orville's wife, they get her out of the house and hire an actual prostitute named Polly the Pistol (Kim Novak) to pretend to be her. All sorts of screwball scenarios then ensue as they try to keep the ruse going.

This isn't one of my favorite Billy Wilder movies, but I still liked it. Ray Walston played things a little too big. He mugs a lot for the camera. I read that Orville was supposed to be played by Jack Lemmon but he wasn't available, and that makes a lot of sense. Then Peter Sellers was supposed to do it and he had a heart attack during filming. It goes without saying that both of those guys would have killed, but Ray Walston is what we got and I can accept that, I guess.

By far my favorite performance in the movie is Kim Novak as Polly the Pistol. She steals the show and by the end of the movie I was totally crushing on her. I also read (thanks, Wikipedia!) that Marilyn Monroe was meant to play the role, but of course, she died during pre-production. Well, I could see why they wanted a Lemmon/Monroe reunion, but I'm glad Novak got the part, because she brought a soul to the character that I'm not entirely sure Monroe could have.

Dean Martin wasn't actually a huge part of the movie. He spends a lot of it sleeping, actually, occasionally waking up to sing a song or complain about not having had sex yet. I don't know how self aware of his character's portrayal that Martin was for this, but he comes across as a total creep. It seems to me that Dino might not have realized that Wilder was sometimes lighting and shooting him to look like a home invader or a rapist or something. If he was aware, that's awesome that he's willing to let himself be portrayed that way, but if he wasn't aware, that's kind of even more awesome.

Just like up above, I won't spoil the ending, but I was genuinely surprised at how adult it was! Things have come a long way in the nine years since the relatively chaste days of The Seven Year Itch. So to sum things up: Dino's a creep, Walston is hammy, and Novak steals it. The script is sly and edgy, but with a better protagonist, the movie could have been a whole lot more. Still, Wilder pulls it off and Kiss Me, Stupid is still a good time.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Hey pallies, likes it seems likes ilovedinomartin is always always playin' Dino-catch-up 'cause there is just so so much astoundin'ly cool Dino-news to shares with youse. Anywho, just a few ago the pallies at Universal released, as part of their 100 anniverary celebration, both blue ray and regular dvd ver-si-ons of that Dino-epic, "Airport."

Today we takes you to the blog "Metroland - The Capitol Region's Alternative Newsweekly," where scriber Shawn Stone has written a review of this big screen disaster flick. While Stone accurately reports that Airport "became Universal’s all-time highest grossing film," what he fails to lets his readers know that Airport was also our Dino's highest paid actin' gig, nettin' our most beloved Dino a cool 7 mil for playin' pilot Vern Demerast." And, to that 1970 date, that pallies was the most bread that any actor had ever ever been paid to make the scene in any flick! 'nother great first for our great man!

While this is pretty standard review fare, Stone pays homage to our Dino in notin'..."And Martin is particularly good, especially when he’s gallantly offering to pay for his knocked-up gal-pal’s Swedish abortion." Hats off to Shawn Stone for lettin' the "Metroland" readership in on the new releases of "Airport" and encouragin' more and more Dino-devotion. To checks this out in it's original format, just clicks on the tag of this here Dino-gram. Dino-lovin', DMP

Airportby Shawn Stone on September 7, 2012

AirportDirected by George Seaton

In 1969, Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider lured the hippies and fellow travelers into America’s increasingly empty movie theaters with its rangy story of drugs, sex and the search for freedom on the road. It grossed millions and shook up mainstream Hollywood. In 1970, old Hollywood fought back with a high-profile, all-star, based-on-a-glossy-best seller disaster flick that grossed $100 million and became Universal’s all-time highest grossing film: Airport.

Watching Universal’s remastered 100th Anniversary Blu-ray, it’s easy to see why it was such a hit—and why it would so quickly become a joke. (Also, how fleeting old Hollywood’s victory was. As the studio prepped Airport’s first sequel, Steven Spielberg was dreaming of a giant shark that would shred Airport’s box office records.)

What makes it worth watching? It celebrates that old Hollywood dictum that you should be able to see the budget up on the screen; here, spare-no-expense producer Ross Hunter’s often crass touch is a plus. Airport doesn’t have that baleful, late 1960’s Universal visual look, a flatly-lit studio style endemic to their TV productions—a look that often showed up in their feature films. And the action sequences, when not overwhelmed by fussy split-screen interruptions, are taut and exciting.

Now forgotten, author Arthur Hailey became wildly successful writing long, juicy novels which took readers behind the scenes of some big institution. He would build up a lot of interesting factual detail about the inner workings of a big-city hotel or major metropolitan airport, on which he would then hang a plot laced with sex, crime and struggles for power.

Here the heroes are played by a couple of established stars on their way down, Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin. They play middle-age men with wife trouble; of course, the solution is hooking up with someone more supportive, younger . . . fresher. Jean Seberg and Jacqueline Bisset bring a lot to these thankless roles; Seberg is wearily professional as Lancaster’s assistant, and Bisset is quick and authoritative under pressure as—you guessed it—a stewardess. And Martin is particularly good, especially when he’s gallantly offering to pay for his knocked-up gal-pal’s Swedish abortion.

What hurts the film is less the deeply square plotting than the way in which the filmmakers lose the human stories in the mechanics of making the disaster happen. And once the disaster happens—in this case, a bomb goes off on a Boeing 707—who even remembers the individual stories? How is Dino going to land the damn plane?

Airport was so successful that it spawned a series of increasingly ridiculous sequels featuring even less carefully drawn characters. (These were all helpfully titled by year, e.g., Airport ’75, Airport ’77.) But Airport also fathered an entire genre. Exploding planes were followed by city-destroying earthquakes, treacherous amusement park rides, flaming skyscrapers and . . . killer bees. In less than 10 years, the genre had devoured itself, with the blockbuster comedy Airplane! delivering the coup de grace.

The extras on the disc are the same as the extras on The Sting special edition Blu-ray—a couple of featurettes on the Universal lot and the studio in the 1970s—though there is a theatrical trailer that shows just how important the literary tie-in was.